Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

After an unknown number of hours, when Shen Wei awoke, the sun was already high in the sky.

Apart from the slightly damp green grass nearby, it seems difficult to find any trace of last night's relentless downpour.

He looked around but couldn't find Ye Qingci anywhere.

Shen Wei subconsciously moved his somewhat stiff body, but felt a warm, soft sinking sensation coming from his shoulder.

Looking down, he realized that Ye Qingci had fallen asleep leaning against him.

Her thick eyelashes cast two faint shadows on her eyelids, and her breathing was barely audible.

He gently patted Ye Qingci awake, "Fairy, wake up."

Ye Qingci was still sleepy at this moment, and her usual aloof and frosty temperament had faded a bit. At this moment, she actually looked a little naive and cute.

Last night, with its wind and rain, and her constant worry about pursuers, she slept very lightly.

Having found temporary peace, I unknowingly fell asleep again.

Seeing that Ye Qingci was still leaning against him and showed no sign of leaving, Shen Wei couldn't help but remind her.

"Fairy Ye, this kind of service comes with an extra charge."

"Ah... okay."

Ye Qingci finally came to her senses. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. She hurriedly stood up, subconsciously straightening her clothes, her expression showing a hint of embarrassment.

Seeing her like this, Shen Wei couldn't help but chuckle. He stood up and dusted himself off.

"We should be able to set off smoothly this time, and I don't think anyone will stop us anymore."

We need to get Ye Qingci to the Jade Balance Sect as soon as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to explain to Gu Lengyue if it takes too long.

The Jade Balance Sect is located in the Central Continent, which is divided into five regions under the rule of the Great Zhou Dynasty: Cangying, Hanhai, Lingnan, Shuobei, and Central Continent.

The first four correspond to the four cardinal directions, while Zhongzhou is the core of the heartland of this continent.

They were currently in Cangying Continent, which was connected to Zhongzhou, but because each continent was vast, the journey was actually extremely long.

"it is good."

"May I ask, fairy, is it still possible to fly on a sword at this moment?"

Ye Qingci shook her head slightly, her tone tinged with helplessness:

"It's a bit difficult. My meridians were severely damaged this time, making it hard to gather spiritual energy. Naturally, I can't control the sword with spiritual energy. It will take about a month to fully recover."

Since that's the case, the two of them will have to squeeze in. Luckily, his sword is long enough.

As soon as Shen Wei thought of it, the long sword at his waist was instantly drawn with a "clang" and obediently floated in front of the two of them.

He stepped onto it first, then gestured for Ye Qingci to follow.

Seeing Ye Qingci step forward, Shen Weicai slowly spoke:

"The journey is long, so we must hurry. Fairy, you must hold on tight!"

Before he finished speaking, the longsword shot into the sky!

Unable to use her spiritual energy to protect herself, Ye Qingci was startled by the sudden speed and instinctively reached out her hands to hug Shen Wei's waist tightly, pressing her cheek against his back.

......

Moments after the two left, a man dressed in a kasaya and holding a staff walked over from the ancient temple that had been reduced to ruins. He had a handsome face that was almost bewitching.

The red shadow of the kasaya stood out starkly against the ruins, and the iron rings on the staff clashed together, making a crisp, ringing sound.

The handsome Buddhist monk walked to the ruins and sensed the residual fluctuations of true energy nearby.

"Amitabha."

He circled the ruins, seemingly sensing something, and squatted down in front of a pile of rubble where black smoke still lingered.

"It's the Child Demon... but we're too late."

He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps to something unseen.

After a moment of silence, he stood up, clasped his hands together, and began to chant scriptures. Under the illumination of the scriptures, golden light shone everywhere.

After the chanting stopped, he slowly stood up, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes:

"The Evil Dragon Fiend? Does that thing really exist? I always thought it was something made up by storytellers."

"In that case, let's go."

After saying that, he slowly walked in the direction the two had left, and with each step he took, the weeds under his feet withered a little more.

......

After flying for an unknown number of hours, the two crossed countless forests and mountains, until a faint twilight appeared on the horizon, and a magnificent city suddenly came into view.

That is Qingyun City, the closest vital passage from Cangying Continent to Zhongzhou.

Cangying Continent has always been prosperous, with numerous spiritual veins and abundant spiritual energy. Even ordinary real estate is of great benefit to cultivators.

Qingyun City is one of the most prosperous cities in Cangying Continent.

They were still quite a distance from Zhongzhou at this point, and after discussing it, the two decided to make some supplies in Qingyun City.

The two landed on their swords and arrived at the gate of Qingyun City. The guards immediately stepped forward, holding long spears, and stopped them, saying sternly:

"Please, Your Excellency and Fairy, halt here. Recently, the Demonic Sect has been frequently appearing, seemingly plotting something. The City Lord has ordered that from today onwards, all those leaving or entering the city must present a pass before being allowed to pass."

"How do I get a pass?"

"It can be done in the city."

Shen Wei raised an eyebrow, about to question her, when he saw Ye Qingci step forward and take out a cyan jade token from her storage ring. The token had the character "Qing" engraved on it in regular script.

"So you're from the Immortal Sect. My apologies. Immortal Sect disciples do not need to show any passes and may enter the city directly."

Upon seeing the jade token, the guard's expression immediately became more respectful. He quickly put away his spear and stepped aside to make way, but his gaze couldn't help but linger on the two of them.

The fairy beside her should have had an aloof and superior air, but at this moment her clothes were tattered, stained with dust and faint bloodstains, which was incongruous with her identity as a disciple of the immortal sect. What was even stranger was that the two people with such different temperaments were traveling together, which was really puzzling.

A sense of curiosity arose in the guard's heart. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but speak:

"May I ask what your relationship is with this fairy? I mean no harm, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Qingci slowly opened her mouth, her tone calm and unhurried:

"To be honest, we are both disciples of the Shangqing Sect, entrusted by the Fuyou Sect to come to Cangying Continent to provide assistance. Just now, outside the city, we happened to encounter a villain from the Demonic Sect. That villain was highly skilled, and we fought a fierce battle before we barely managed to repel him, which is why we look so disheveled."

"I see. I was being presumptuous."

The guard quickly bowed and apologized, his face full of respect and admiration.

"Thank you, Fairy and Young Master, for punishing the demons and protecting the peace of my Qingyun City."

As soon as they entered the city, Shen Wei couldn't help but ask:

"Aren't you being hunted down? Why do you dare to so brazenly display your sect's jade token? Aren't you afraid of being recognized?"

"Although my wanted notice has been sent to all the major immortal sects, Cangying Continent is not like Shuobei. The Fuyou Sect does not have such strict control over the cities under its jurisdiction. That is why I dared to show the jade token rashly."

She paused, then added:

"But this peace won't last long. In less than half a month, my wanted posters will probably be plastered all over every corner of Qingyun City."

"These major immortal sects are quite united; if one person escapes, the whole world knows."

Ye Qingci nodded slightly, her expression calm:

"Um."

"If that's the case, why did the fairy go to the Jade Balance Sect?"

Shen Wei asked again, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

The Jade Balance Sect is also one of the five great immortal sects.

"The sect leader of Yuheng Sect... is my closest friend. No matter what situation I am in, she will always take me in."

Ye Qingci spoke firmly, paused, and then added:

"Moreover, the Great Zhou Dynasty is already dissatisfied with the power of the other four immortal sects. Under its rule, it will never allow the four immortal sects to interfere in the affairs of the domain. The Jade Balance Sect is located in the Central Continent, so it is relatively safer."

Shen Wei knew that the seemingly powerful Great Zhou Dynasty was nothing more than a puppet empire put forward by the five major immortal sects to rule over the lower-level cultivators and ordinary people.

However, the current emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty seems to have long been unwilling to be a puppet and is secretly accumulating power, wanting to break the pattern of the immortal sects controlling imperial power.

The two walked along the street, talking as they went.

Ye Qingci glanced around and saw that the prosperity of Qingyun City was indeed well-deserved.

Shops lined the street, their colorful signs fluttering in the wind, displaying a dazzling array of goods.

The streets were bustling with activity, carriages rumbled and people chattered, and pedestrians came and went in an endless stream. There were merchants and nobles dressed in fine silks and satins, cultivators carrying long swords, and ordinary people moving about among them, creating a lively scene.

They could even hear caravans traveling between Zhongzhou and Cangyingzhou marveling at how the prosperity of Qingyun City was in no way inferior to that of the imperial city.